Fundraising
Ideas to help you
meet your goal
for more information, visit: wigsforkids.org
Start now
The earlier you begin fundraising, the better off you’ll be. You’ll
be able to go way beyond $1800 to Sponsor One Child's hair piece and
focus on your training.
House/Dinner Party
This is a sure-fire way to raise money. Collect donations and
entertain at the same time. Create a theme (like a costume party)
and have fun. For a twist, host a dinner party. Invite 10 or more of
your friends. Have each guest donate $50, spend no more than $20
per person on food and you’ll have $300 or more in pledges by the
end of the night.
Participant Center
One of the great features of our website is the personal participant
center where you can upload a photo of yourself or your team,
write a little bit about your reason for participating, and create a
fundraising goal. You can also send out fundraising emails, track
your donations and more.
Corporate Matching Gift
Ask your company to match the amount of pledges you receive
from your coworkers and ask all donors if their company has a
matching gift program.
Company Grants
Find out if your company offers grants to employees who volunteer
their time for charitable causes. If so, you can volunteer your time
at theWigs for Kids office or at Wigs for Kids Day and get paid grant money (pledges!)
for the work. You may need a letter from us stating that you’ll be
volunteering in the office, which we’d be happy to provide.
Corporate sponsorship
Identify one of several major companies in your area and contact
them directly.
Fundraise with social media
Utilize your online networks to raise money towards your goal
with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
Colorful Sponsor Letters
Stand out among bills and junk mail and print your fundraising
letters on colored paper. Send them in colored envelopes too.
Signing your Correspondence
Add a short sentence at the bottom of your email signature
saying that you’re participating in Wigs For Kids Day and ask for
a pledge. Include a link to your personal or team page.
In Memory Of
If you’re participating in memory of someone, include a picture of
you with your loved one in your pledge letter, on posters, etc.
Meet The Press
Does your company distribute a newsletter? Does your company
have inter-office email? Take advantage of these…it’s a perfect way
to get the word out and even get your company involved.
Get An Article In Your Local Paper
Call us to talk about media outreach opportunities in local newspapers
and how to successfully get your story placed. Include information
about how people can contribute. And have a photo ready to go!
Pleges For Each Mile You Walk /Run
Ask people to pledge an amount for each mile of the event route.
Raffle
Everyone that contributes is entered into a raffle to win a special
item such as a free massage or sports tickets. Ask a local store
manager what the hot-selling item is these days and see if he or she
would be willing to donate a percent of the sales from that item to
you or donate one to be raffled.
Garage Sale
Do you really need all that extra stuff taking up space in your
garage, attic and/or basement? Gather it up and ask your friends
to do the same and pick a weekend to sell.
Bake Sale
Become Julia Child or Mrs. Fields and host a bake sale with your
friends. Hold your bake sale at a garage sale, work, school or
religious organization’s function.
The “Extra Change In My Pocket ” Box
Create little boxes for you, your friends and family and have them
place it on their dresser, desk and at work to collect spare change.
It can add up quick.
Voicemail Message
This will alert everyone who calls you that you’re up to something
special! Let them know that you need their support!
Your Local Restaurant
1. Ask your favorite local restaurant to host a fundraising dinner
for you. They supply the food and you supply the pledge cards.
2. Ask if you can place a money jar at the front of the restaurant:
Check with the manager. They may be willing to place the jar in
a high-traffic area so lots of patrons can see it.
Ask your local Server/bartender
to donate a portion of one night’s tips
You can create a sign for the bartender to place on the bar stating
“All tips collected tonight will go directly to _________, who’s raising
money for Wigs For Kids.” If patrons see the
sign, they may be willing to dig a little deeper into their pockets.
Guest bartending
Ask your local watering hole if you can come and work behind the
bar and donate all tips you make back to Wigs For Kids. Most bars
will also agree to drink specials for the occasion. Create a sign
for the bar stating that “All tips collected tonight will go directly to
_________, who’s raising money for Wigs For Kids.”
Invite all your family, friends and their friends to come out.
Happy Hour Party
Invite all your friends (and their friends) to a local bar or restaurant
for happy hour. Call the location ahead of time and set up a drink and
appetizer special. Get your friends to sign your past event Wigs For Kids Day T-shirt
for $10 per signature. Not only will you have a great fundraiser, you’ll
end up with a great shirt to wear on event day.
Movie/performing arts ticket donation
Ask your local movie house or theater to donate several tickets.
Auction them off and put the money toward your pledges.
Host a movie party at your house
Pick up a new release at your local video store, make some popcorn,
pick up some drinks, and invite your friends and family over for the
night. Charge $5 and have plenty of pledge cards out!
Game Night
Get out those board games and start playing! Break into teams and
let the fun begin.
Host a poker game
Call your card-playing friends and invite them over for poker night!
Birthday Or Holiday Gift Pledge
It will be a lot easier for your friends and family to write you a
birthday check instead of spending hours trying to shop for you.
And then you can donate the amount to your pledge total.
Delegate
Give 10 of your friends 10 pledge cards each and ask them to help
raise money for you.
Creative Friends
Find a local artist or ask a creative friend if they would donate a piece
of art or jewelry that you could auction off. Or see if they would be
willing to create mass quantities that you could sell and keep a portion
of the proceeds for your pledge total.
Return Address Labels
Print return address labels for your outgoing mail. Print something
like, “I’m Running to help Children look themselves and live their lives, and support Wigs for Kids. Will you sponsor me?” You may want to
include a pledge card and a self-addressed envelope to make it really
easy for them to donate.
Travel Agency
Do you always make your travel plans through the same agency?
Ask them to donate a travel voucher. You can auction it off at one
of your parties.
Doctor/Veternarian /Insurance Agent
Ask them to write a check for you instead of the other way around.
Radio Station
Call your favorite radio station and ask them to make an announcement
on the air. They may even interview you. Pledges can be sent directly
to the Wigs For Kids office.
Gym
Ask your gym to place a pledge jar at the front desk! Leave a stack of
pledge cards at the counter as well.
Hair Salon
Ask your barber or hairdresser to donate $2 of every haircut they
complete over one weekend.
Picnics
National holiday picnics are a great place to raise some money.
Mow-A-Thon
Get your kids involved in this weekend activity. Check ahead of time with
all your neighbors and ask them if you can mow their lawn for $50.
Neighborhood Chores
Are you a Mr. or Ms. Fix-It? A lot of your neighbors would probably
rather pay you than someone else. Place signs around your neighborhood
or place in mailboxes advertising your services (i.e. watering
gardens, cleaning roof gutters, sweeping the driveway, fixing an
easy plumbing problem, painting a room, etc.)
Errand boy/girl
Offer to be your friends’ and/or coworkers’ personal assistant for a
day (or maybe for just a few hours) in exchange for a large donation.
Maybe $250 or more.
Pet sit
Are your neighbors going away and they don’t want to leave their pet(s)
at the kennel? Again, offer up your services and charge them what they
would have paid at the kennel and donate it to your pledge total.
ebay.com
Gather up goods from you and your friends and auction them off on eBay.
Company Vacation Days
Ask your boss or human resources director if they can swap one of
your vacation days for a day’s pay.
Dress Down Day
Ask your company to allow an official Dress Down Day. For the
privilege of dressing down, employees pledge $10 or $20 toward
the event.
Ask a potential donor to Train with you
He or she may be more willing to donate once they fully understand
what you are committed to doing.
Bowling Nights
Plan a fun night of bowling at your local lanes. Ask the owner to
waive the cost of bowling and you can collect that money and turn
it into pledges.
Used-book sale
Everyone has books that have been sitting on shelves, in the attic or
in the basement collecting dust. Ask your friends, family and neighbors
to donate books they no longer want and set up a weekend book sale
in your front yard. Put up some signs so people will know where the
money is going and once they know, hopefully they’ll give you even more.
Religious Organization Bulletin
Place an advertisement in your organization’s bulletin/newsletter
letting the congregation know what you’re up to! Or better yet, invite
them to join you.
Rock On!
If you know any musicians, ask them to perform a benefit concert.
Tell people that their admission ticket is a check made out to the
Wigs For Kids.
Pledge Yourself
Kickstart your fundraising and set a great example for your teammates
and supporters by putting your money where your mouth is.
Alumni Orgaizations , Fraternities & Sororities
Call your own college or university and ask them to place an ad in
the alumni newsletter asking for donations. In addition, contact the
national chapter of your fraternity or sorority and ask them to make
a donation.
Ask For The Right Amount
Take a good look at who you’re asking for donations and make sure
you ask for the right amount. Don’t ask for $100 if you know someone
could pledge $1,000.
Clubs & Organizations
Send a letter requesting a donation to your local Knights of Columbus,
Lions Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, etc. They support individuals in their
communities.
ASK AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN, THEN ASK AGAIN !
Get The Word Out